As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then.Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

1990

playing kids discover a small cave with old bones.

05-JUN-1990

first examination by the Archäologischer Dienst Graubünden (Archaeological Survey Graubünden).

Description

The village of Zillis, located only a few kilometers from the world famous gorge
Via Mala, is famous for its church.
A place of worship for people who had to cross this dangerous place, or for
those who just survived it.
The impressive painted ceiling of the church still attracts hundreds of visitors
daily.

Much less famous is the nearby cave.
A small cavern, used as a shelter since early times, may have been a resting
place for travellers using this pathway through the Alps since the Stone Age.
However, it was excavated and the discovered remains of cultic fires were dated
to be of late Roman origin.
Several meters of debris contained numerous fireplaces, up to 40cm thick layers
of coal tell about a long lasting use.
550 Roman coins from the 3rd and 4th century, silver rings, silver earrings,
silver plates and rock crystals were found.
Other findings included human and animal bones, and sherds of pottery, glas, and
the soft rock called Lavez.
The cave was closed by a wall, the remains of which are still easy to see.

The archaeologists could not find out, which god was worshipped in the cave.
Possible are Jupiter Sabazios, Jupiter Dolichenus, or
Mithras (Sol Invictus).
However, the reason for its popularity was most likely the location, at the
Roman road Via Mala - Splügen - San Bernardino pass, which was frequented by
many Roman travellers, soldiers and merchants.

Later in the 5th to 7th century the place was used for several burial.
Probably this people were worshipers of the cult.
One of this bodies was staked, so probably this is a sign for the early
Christianization of this area, which included some violence.

This small cave is located on a step in the southern slope of the Hinterrhein
valley.
Such steps are formed when the river meanders for some time without cutting
deeper into the rock.
The Hinterrhein river used the whole valley, turning around at the slopes
crisscrossing through the valley floor.
Where it met the sides it eroded undercut slopes like this, sometimes
even produced small erosional caves like this one.
The cave is rather small, 15m wide and deep, but rather low.